“It’s still fresh, but it’s definitely still rough. It hurts,” said Warren Moyd, a cousin of Curtis.

“That was more than just a friend to me. He was more than just a fellow DJ. That was my brother,” said DJ Isaac Williams. “He’s the DJ that everybody in the city looked up to, or at least looked to get their skill level up to.”

Friends described Curtis as iconic and legendary.

“Battle DJ, radio DJ, he basically was a hero,” said DJ Derrick Binion.

“He’d take off his shirt, he’d like put his leg over the turntables. He was a performer. He was just amazing,” said Chin-Yer Wright, who is organizing a memorial.

Fellow DJs are planning to spin in honor of Curtis. A memorial event is planned for Monday evening at the Downtown Cultural Arts Center on North Howard Street. At least seven DJs are expected to perform.

“I’m thankful that we were able to honor him as a legend in Baltimore while he was alive, so we really want to continue to honor his memory,” Wright said.

The DJs said the event will also help them heal.

“Music is for everybody, and it heals the soul. It heals my soul when I’m hurting,” Wright said.